Your Faculty Association’s primary role is to serve as the faculty watchdog on issues affecting faculty welfare both in and outside the University. We define faculty welfare broadly to include any issue affecting the health, other benefits, and the faculty’s ability to do their work well.
Bread and Butter Issues
Over the years your Faculty Association has handled many complex issues including salary increases, protection of benefits and organizing support for or against propositions, and political initiatives affecting the faculty and the university. At UCSB, our work on the parking issue alone has resulted in saving faculty members significant amounts of money, and we continue to work to keep your parking rates low, and to assure that parking fees are spent on parking services only.
Work with the Academic Senate
FA works closely with the Academic Senate on improving faculty welfare, but can also do things that the Academic Senate is not able to do since the Senate is limited by university policies or state law. For example, the Academic Senate cannot work for or against political propositions that affect the faculty and the University nor can it raise funds for such purposes. As an independent organization, the UCSB Faculty Association can undertake such activities.
Government Relations and Lobbying
The UCSB Faculty Association has an on going government relations program. Its government relations work including lobbying locally and in Sacramento. Its goal is ensure that faculty interests, and higher education issues retain high priority in Sacramento, and through our representatives, in Washington. During the coming years UCSB faculty are likely to face complex issues and difficult problems. Dwindling resources and budget problems that may lead to cuts in salary and benefits. Often times during California’s lean years, legislators expect more for less from the faculty. Calls for increase in the workload become common. We have fought such calls in the past, and to do the same in the future. It is during periods like this that the FA must continue and even increase its lobbying activities.